Principal returns to school one day after appearing in court

CHARGED: Fyzabad Secondary School principal Troy Jebodhsingh (pictured) leaves the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court earlier this week after being granted bail.
CHARGED: Fyzabad Secondary School principal Troy Jebodhsingh (pictured) leaves the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court earlier this week after being granted bail.

YVONNE WEBB

One day after he appeared before San Fernando magistrate Cherril-Ann Antoine on six charges relating to school football fraud investigations, principal Troy Jebodhsingh returned to the Fyzabad Secondary School yesterday.

Members of the Teaching Service Commission and the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) said he is not on suspension and was free to report for duty. They explained there is a process to follow and, until the rule of law and procedure is followed, he and teacher Nigel Lakhan, who was also charged, are free to return to work.

They recalled the recent incident in which a high court judge ruled against the decision by chief education officer Harrylal Seecharan and the Ministry of Education, which usurped the authority of the commission to remove Sookhoo Sonnylal as principal of the Siparia West Secondary school.

“Mindful of that situation, when they acted without the knowledge of the commission, the ministry is dotting its ‘I’s and crossing it ‘T’s hoping not to make another faux pas,” second vice president of TTUTA Curla Robertson said yesterday.

She explained the Education Act states once a teacher is charged, that teacher is supposed to write to the permanent secretary and the CEO indicating they have been charged and provide the particulars of the charges.

However, because of the high profile nature of this matter, she said the officials would have been aware and would not necessarily have to wait for the letter from the teachers before taking action.

“All the CEO and the PS would have to do is to get the extracts of the matter from the court and submit that information to the commission with a copy of the extract.

The commission, which is responsible for hiring, firing, promoting or disciplining, will then direct if the person is to be suspended or interdicted depending on the gravity of the situation.”

Jebodhsingh, 55 and 40-year-old Lakhan, a physical education teacher, are charged with falsifying Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) results to enable two students to enrol in the CAPE examinations so they could qualify to play for the school in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division.

Joint charges were preferred against them for uttering two forged CXC certificates at the ministry of education on September 5, knowing the same to be forged and with the intent to defraud. Jebodhsingh, of Richardson Trace, Fyzabad is also charged with misbehaviour as a principal and member of the commission and with submitting and authorising the submission of false documents to a school supervisor.

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